


An Island In The Sun

by orphan_account



Category: Olympics RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Realization, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1854409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan and Michael take an impromptu vacation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Island In The Sun

* * *

“Tell me something, man,” Ryan says conversationally, “When was the last time you actually did something because you wanted to do it, not because you had to?”  
  
“I honestly don’t know.” Michael replies.  
  
“And that, my friend,” Ryan intones sagely, “is the problem.”  
  
\--  
  
It turns out that Ryan’s idea of doing something because you want to rather than because you have to involves flying halfway around the world on a whim for an ill-planned and most likely ill-fated vacation. “Pack light,” Ryan tells Michael. “I’m talkin’ carry on bags only. No laptop and no phone. We’re goin’ totally off the grid.”  
  
“I gotta find someone to feed Stella and Herman while I’m gone,” Michael says.  
  
“Don’t bother,” Ryan replies. “We’re bringing them with us; Carter too.”  
  
After Ryan hangs up Michael stands there with his phone up to his ear, a feeling of dread rising from the pit of his stomach into his throat.  
  
\--  
  
They end up renting a bungalow on a private beach in Turks & Caicos for the better part of two weeks. It’s all bamboo floors and floor to ceiling windows, white linens and a fully stocked kitchen. The first three days Ryan lets Michael sleep off the jet lag, keeps a meal ready for the few times Michael wakes up long enough to eat something and use the bathroom. By the fifth day they’ve fallen into a routine.  
  
Ryan cooks breakfast and Michael cleans up afterward. They read books from the bungalow’s small library and play songs on the jukebox in the den because there’s no television or internet. Michael entertains Ryan with stories from his childhood, most of them about the rather explosive arguments he's had with Bob over the the years. Ryan teaches Michael to play spades with a deck of cards he bummed off the stewardess on their flight over. Once the hottest part of the day has passed they head outside and sprawl out on their stomachs on top of an over sized beach towel the color of antifreeze. They watch the dogs run in and out of the foamy waves, tails wagging and tongues hanging out. They pass a single bottle of Corona between the two of them, a wedge of lime settled peacefully at the bottom of it’s glass prison.  
  
“I can’t believe you did all this just for me.” Michael says, resting his chin on his folded arms. “Seems like something outta one of those romance novels my Mama reads.”  
  
“Yeah, my Mom reads those too. What really gets me is what they print on the back explaining the story” Ryan smirks, takes a sip from the bottle cradled in his hand. He puts up his other hand as if it’s the back of a book, pretends to read the summary aloud, “ _Rich Olympian sweeps doe-eyed love interest away to private paradise for a truly scintillating beach side affair._ ”  
  
Michael blushes from the tips of his ears to just above his collar bones, mumbles “Way to bring on the awkward.”  
  
“It’s not awkward. We have to go through a few steps before it hits awkward” Ryan replies. “First I have to ravish you right here in the sand as the sun sets and the tide goes out, then carry you back to the bungalow and ravish you several more times depending on what flat surface can hold both of our weight, and finally bring you back outside and ravish you beneath the full moon as the tide rushes in. There.... now it’s awkward.”  
  
“Oh, God,” Michael sputters, trying to hide his face behind his own hands. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?”  
  
“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” Ryan smirks. “Reezy would cease to exist.”  
  
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if Reezy took a hike for a little while,” Michael confesses. “Reezy is an asshole sometimes. He thinks he deserves the world handed to him on a silver platter. But Ryan.... now that guy could ask me for anything and I’d give it to him.”  
  
“Why?” Ryan asks.  
  
“Because while Reezy only thinks of himself first, Ryan always thinks of others before himself,” Michael explains. “Reezy’s the type of guy you fuck once or twice and forget about. Ryan is the type of guy you take home to meet your family, the type of guy that makes you wanna put a ring on it. Reezy is for a weekend, but Ryan... well, Ryan’s for the rest of your life. I mean, I like Reezy, but I’m in love with Ryan.”  
  
“Whoa, that’s pretty deep, man,” Ryan says in an awed voice.  
  
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Michael says.  
  
“How long is a while?” Ryan asks.  
  
Michael’s lips turn up into a shy smile and he says, “Since the first time I saw you.”


End file.
